Stephen Lukivi Ekero, a Masai Mara tour guide, is among two people who have been killed in devastating ethnic clashes in Matigari village, Laikipia County.
There has been escalating tension between different ethnic groups in the region, that have devastated families and destroyed livelihoods.
The ordeal began when locals armed with knives and farming tools stormed the area to work on a rice field. As tensions flared overnight, chaos erupted, and residents were forced to flee for safety.
Among those caught in the unrest was the tour guide, a father of four, before reports that he was one of the victims killed in the confrontation.
His wife said her husband had just returned home from work for a two-day break and was preparing for his next shift when the violence broke out.
''As people were busy escaping, he went back to pick up his bag. Unfortunately, he was caught up in the clashes. He was attacked and killed," the victim's wife said.
Witnesses describe a night filled with terror as gunshots rent the air. The goons also torched several houses, leaving dozens homeless.
As of June 4, many of the families whose houses were destroyed were camping at the Baptist church in Rumuruti town, 15km from Matigari village.
''The police came in the morning and found that the community had already left. The second person who died had locked himself in his house after he heard the gunshots and after seeing other people being attacked," said Jackson Taipaof, a pastor at Crossroad Baptist Church.
''Unfortunately, the goons broke into the house, torched it, and killed the man. They also went ahead to torch three more houses there. They also burnt two motorbikes,'' the pastor said.
Government authorities were alerted to the unfolding disaster, with police arriving around 1:30 am to assess the situation.
They found the bodies of the deceased and injured individuals needing urgent medical attention.
Survivors, including the widow of the tour guide, have called upon the government to protect affected families and restore peace in the volatile area.
